>904 



I Snodgrass, La7id Birds oJ Central Washington. 2 ^ 1 



35. Amphispiza belli nevadensis. Sage Sparrow. — In going west 

 through Franklin County we first came upon this bird just a little to the 

 east of Connell. One is here, also, well within the arid desert region. 

 West of Connell the Sage Sparrow became the predominant Fringillid of 

 the sage-brush. The Horned Larks outnumber them everywhere, but the 

 latter are numerous everywhere else as well and are, hence, in no way 

 characteristic of the desert. In Yakima County we found the Sage Spar- 

 rows abundant all the way from White Bluffs Ferry on the Columbia to 

 the cultivated parts about North Yakima. Here they were absent. To 

 the south again, across the "Horse Heaven " arid country and in the west- 

 ern half of Walla Walla County, they prevailed everywhere. During the 

 previous summer we found this bird between Adrian and Ephrata on the 

 Great Northern Railway and about Loop Lake in the southern end of the 

 Grand Coulee but nowhere to the north of here. Hence, their range 

 northward is not coincident with the extent of the desert. 



During the summer the Sage Sparrow is a very quiet bird. None were 

 heard singing and the only sound they uttered was a low peetASk.^ note. 

 They generally associate in small flocks composed of both adult and imma- 

 ture birds. The food consists of seeds and insects. 



36. Melospiza cinerea montana. Mountain Song Sparrow. — There 

 appears to be only one form of Song Sparrow occupying the entire east- 

 ern, southeastern and central part of the State. Comparisons of a large 

 number of specimens from Whitman, Lincoln, Douglas, Yakima, and 

 Walla Walla Counties show an absolute uniformity of color and propor- 

 tions in the specimens from all the localities. 



Abundant in Whitman County; absent on desert regions ; extremely 

 numerous about North Yakima; a few along the Walla Walla and 

 Touchet streams in Walla Walla County. 



37. Pipilo maculatus megalonyx. Spurred Towhee. — A few Black 

 Towhees occur about North Yakima, and a few were found in the thickets 

 along the Touchet Creek in Walla Walla County. The same form 

 occurs in eastern Whitman County, along the Snake River, and along 

 the Clearwater River in Idaho. Comparison with specimens from other 

 localities shows that the eastern and central Washington form is probably 

 P. m. megalonyx. 



38. Zamelodia melanocephala. Black-headed Grosbeak. — Com- 

 mon at North Yakima, less abundant in Walla Walla County, common 

 in eastern Whitman County and in the Snake River caiion at Almota. 



39. Cyanospiza amcena. Lazuli Bunting. — Common everywhere 

 except in arid sage-brush regions. 



40. Piranga ludoviciana. Louisiana Tanager. — Rare on all the 

 region traversed. One specimen obtained at Prosser in Yakima County 

 and another at Bolles in Walla Walla County. 



41. Petrochelidon lunifrons. Cliff Swallow. — Common wherever 

 swallows occur. 



42. Hirundo erythrogaster. Barn Swallow. — Occurs almost every- 

 where but is less abundant than the last. 



